The Cheapest Knife in CS2
The cheapest knife in CS2 right now is the Navaja Knife | Rust Coat at $35.53. Below: the cheapest way into every one of the 20 knife types, and the 20 cheapest knife skins overall — all live marketplace prices, not a list someone wrote last year.
Cheapest skin on every knife type
Every knife is identical in play, so this table is the whole answer to “what does it cost to own a [type]”: the premium between rows is animation and looks, nothing else.
| Knife type | Cheapest skin | From |
|---|---|---|
| Navaja Knife |  Rust Coat | $35.53 |
| Shadow Daggers |  Black Laminate | $35.61 |
| Kukri Knife |  Safari Mesh | $37.65 |
| Survival Knife |  Safari Mesh | $37.90 |
| Paracord Knife |  Safari Mesh | $38.53 |
| Gut Knife |  Boreal Forest | $40.62 |
| Bowie Knife |  Rust Coat | $42.10 |
| Huntsman Knife |  Rust Coat | $46.51 |
| Ursus Knife |  Safari Mesh | $48.25 |
| Falchion Knife |  Rust Coat | $48.51 |
| Classic Knife |  Safari Mesh | $57.61 |
| Nomad Knife |  Safari Mesh | $64.19 |
| Flip Knife |  Safari Mesh | $101.99 |
| Skeleton Knife |  Safari Mesh | $105.00 |
| Bayonet |  Safari Mesh | $111.15 |
| Stiletto Knife |  Safari Mesh | $114.73 |
| Talon Knife |  Safari Mesh | $179.45 |
| M9 Bayonet |  Boreal Forest | $267.12 |
| Karambit |  Safari Mesh | $367.27 |
| Butterfly Knife |  Boreal Forest | $407.09 |
The 20 cheapest knife skins overall
| # | Knife | Price from | Rarity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Navaja Knife | Rust Coat | $35.53 | Covert |
| 2 | Shadow Daggers | Black Laminate | $35.61 | Covert |
| 3 |  Navaja Knife | Forest DDPAT | $35.67 | Covert |
| 4 |  Shadow Daggers | Rust Coat | $35.74 | Covert |
| 5 |  Shadow Daggers | Bright Water | $35.77 | Covert |
| 6 |  Navaja Knife | Safari Mesh | $35.91 | Covert |
| 7 |  Navaja Knife | Scorched | $35.96 | Covert |
| 8 |  Navaja Knife | Boreal Forest | $36.12 | Covert |
| 9 |  Shadow Daggers | Boreal Forest | $36.62 | Covert |
| 10 |  Shadow Daggers | Safari Mesh | $37.03 | Covert |
| 11 |  Navaja Knife | Night Stripe | $37.11 | Covert |
| 12 | Kukri Knife | Safari Mesh | $37.65 | Covert |
| 13 |  Navaja Knife | Damascus Steel | $37.76 | Covert |
| 14 |  Kukri Knife | Boreal Forest | $37.88 | Covert |
| 15 | Survival Knife | Safari Mesh | $37.90 | Covert |
| 16 |  Shadow Daggers | Forest DDPAT | $38.03 | Covert |
| 17 |  Survival Knife | Rust Coat | $38.17 | Covert |
| 18 |  Kukri Knife | Forest DDPAT | $38.20 | Covert |
| 19 |  Navaja Knife | Urban Masked | $38.35 | Covert |
| 20 | Paracord Knife | Safari Mesh | $38.53 | Covert |
Prices are the lowest live listing we track across marketplaces — see all knife skins for the full catalogue, or the other end of the market for what the ceiling looks like.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest knife in CS2?
Right now it is the Navaja Knife | Rust Coat at $35.53. The floor of the knife market is almost always a Shadow Daggers or Navaja Knife in a basic finish — the smallest knives with the least dramatic patterns. The exact skin changes with the market; this page tracks live prices.
Why are knives so expensive compared to regular skins?
Knives only drop as the Rare Special Item in cases, at roughly 0.26% — about 1 in 385 openings. That supply constraint sets a hard floor: even the plainest knife finish costs more than most Covert rifle skins, because someone had to burn a few hundred dollars of case keys, on average, to bring it into existence.
Is a cheap knife worth it?
It depends what you want it for. In-game, every knife is functionally identical — a $37 Navaja does exactly what a $2,000 Butterfly Fade does. If you just want a knife equipped, the floor of this table is the rational buy. If you care about the animation, Butterfly, Karambit and M9 command their premiums almost entirely for the flip.
Can I get a knife cheaper through a trade-up?
No — trade-up contracts cap out at Covert rarity and never produce knives. The only routes to a knife are opening cases (terrible expected value) or buying one on a marketplace, which is what these prices are.